Monday, 27 August 2012

Don't you just love British museums. Well when they do things like free nights of Science Fiction related stuff then we do! This Wednesday, the Science Museum will be going all Sci Fi for one evening only. Check out what's happening:

'Aliens, super heroes and creatures from outer space are the
inspiration for this month’s Lates
with MasterCard – which looks at the incredible world of science fiction.
Come to the Science
Museum on Wednesday 29 August, 6.45-10.00pm for an
evening of mid-week entertainment, live music and fun activities in the museum
after hours.

We Have Met the Future and it is Us,
Lecture Theatre Talks, Ground Floor, 7.10-7.30pm, 8.30-9.00pm

Ever since the Frankenstein Monster disappeared over the
curve of the planet, science fiction has taken the world as its stage. In the
end, what Science Fiction talks about is the fate of the world. It might have
been an American geek project once upon a time, but now everyone seems to write
it. Because Science Fiction is about how everyone lives today.

The (alternative) history of SteamPunk,
Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor

Talks: 7.45-8.15pm, 9.15-9.45pm

Alex Fitch explores the continuing fascination with Science Fiction
set in the Victorian era, but still being written today, and how it has
influenced literature, film and fashion, with links to the 19th
Century technology on display in the Science
Museum.

Alter Ego, First Floor opposite Agriculture
gallery - All evening

Have you forgotten your sci-fi costume at home and are
feeling a bit left out? Fear not! Pick up a pair of our special pants to
decorate and showcase your sci-fi skills. Finish the look off by painting your
face to complete your avatar.

Event costs £1.00 to take part.

Photo Me Retro,
Second Floor next to Oramics exhibition – All evening

Visit Fishee Design’s retro
photo booth and have your photo taken with a range of superhero-inspired props
and masks to complement your fancy-dress finery. All the photos are edited in a
comic book style and will be shared via the Facebook page the following day.

Total Redraw, Watt’s Workshop, Ground
Floor - All Evening

The films ‘Total Recall’ and ‘Eternal
Sunshine of the spotless mind’ implants and erases memories. If you had
the chance to save one of your memories, what would it be? Come and draw your
favourite memory with artist Kimbo Silver.

The Quantum
Workshop, Launchpad Briefing Room, Third Floor, All Evening

Quantum
physics talks about being in “two places at once” and
teleportation. What a strange theory, crazy physicists! University College
London are bringing you a real experiment that will probe Nature’s guilty
little secret, to convince you that this is science fact, not science fiction.

Other
activities being held on the evening include…

Talkaoke, All
night, First Floor

Talkaoke is a mobile talk show where
the conversation can go anywhere! But it all starts with scientists from
King’s College London talking about their research into athletic drug
testing. Discuss controversial issues, what’s legal, what’s
illegal, and how can they be sure?

Speed
Dating, Launchpad
City, Third Floor -
8.15-9.30pm

This could be your chance to meet
the person of your dreams... or possibly nightmares. There’s also a free
drink thrown in for all daters.

Limited numbers, buy tickets early
to avoid disappointment. Charge £10, free to members. Tickets can be purchased
from the main ticket desk on the ground floor.

Silent Disco, Exploring Space, Ground
Floor, 7.30-9.40pm

Whether you’re practising your
moves or just in the mood to slam dunk the funk, grab a headset, select your
tunes and dance until you drop. The Science
Museum does not accept
responsibility for the quality of some of the moves you will see this evening.

Punk
Science, IMAX Theatre, 8.30-9.15pm

Punk Science: episode IV "A New Hope and Milton"

A long time ago in a museum far, far away...Two talentless
losers created a show about science fiction, so set your faces to stunned and prepare
for the usual mix of shocking demonstrations, music and comedy. Remember, there
is only one chance to see them this month.

You remember it well from when you
were nine... and if you don’t, now’s your chance to realise what
you missed. Exercise your mental muscle through interactive science fun with no
kids between you and the big red buttons to press.

Cockroach Tours,
meet at the front of Making the Modern World gallery, Ground Floor. Times:
7.30-8.00pm, 8.45-9.15pm.

Put yourself in their shells. Take a
Cockroach Tour of the Science
Museum and get a quirky
and inquisitive take on the human race.

Who Am I? Gallery
Tour, First Floor, 8.15-8.45pm

Do our genes define who we are or
does nurture still have an important effect? Join us on this tour to see how
genes impact on our whole lives and beyond!

Whilst we at the Sci Fi Freak Site don't get the chance to go to conventions due to that crazy little thing called life, we know that many people do. Here's one with a very impressive line up of stars:

' This autumn, London
will see the launch of ‘DESTINATION STAR TREK LONDON’, which will ‘beam
down’ to the ExCeL Centre on 19th – 21st October 2012.
This will be the first official Star Trek live event in the UK in 10
years, offering British fans a chance to be a part of and witness Star Trek
history.

Welcoming fans from
all over the galaxy ‘DESTINATION STAR TREK LONDON’ will see all five of
the legendary captains together including: William Shatner (Captain Kirk – Star
Trek: The Original Series) will be joined by the UK’s Sir Patrick Stewart
(Captain Picard – Star Trek: The Next Generation), Avery Brooks (Captain
Sisko – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway – Star
Trek: Voyager) and Scott Bakula (Captain Archer – Star Trek: Enterprise)
in the once in a lifetime event.

Fans of the show
can expect many exciting features at the event including: guest talks,
autograph opportunities, photo shoots with the stars, as well as replica sets,
a unique Star Trek Museum, stunt demonstrations, costume displays and
lots more!

Two exclusive
parties are also planned for the Friday and Saturday nights, taking place at
the ExCeL with entertainment included so there's something for everyone who
attends. The Klingon Monster Ball (Friday 19th Oct) will feature
live music with JG Hertzler and Robert O'Reilly, blood wine and a host of
Klingons to celebrate the first day of the event.

Saturday night’s
party will mark the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The party will feature Chase Masterson (Barjoran Dabo Leeta - Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine), and her all-star cabaret!

With all of this
and more, ‘DESTINATION STAR TREK LONDON’ will be an unmissable event for
both hardcore fans of the show and for people who are curious about the Star
Trek universe!

Friday, 10 August 2012

This week saw the transmission of the very last episode of A TOWN CALLED EUREKA on the UK SyFy channel and since it is a show that we will miss far more than many others that have bitten the dust over the years that The Sci Fi Freak Site has been following this genre we thought we'd take this opportunity to list all the things that we have loved about it in tribute to the five years of genuine entertainment that it has given us.

OPTIMISM - This was one of the few truly optimistic shows that the genre has ever produced. It rarely fell into dark and angsty places (though it played with serious drama at times) and was filled with characters who were all very likeable and for whom you only ever wanted good things.

SHERIFF JACK CARTER - played by Colin Ferguson, Jack was the heart of the show. An everyman, he was streetwise and savvy, but always out of his depth with the sciency stuff and so was the audience replacement, the one who had to have the technobabble explained to him.

THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE - We make no apologies for including this. Normally festive themed episodes make us cringe with embarrassment for all involved, but O Little Town in Season 4 had everything that you could ask for including Father Christmas, giant tree decorations, a surprising Secret Santa and a genuine sense of goodwill to all men.

WILL THEY/WON'T THEY - Carter and the head of Global Dynamics Allison Blake were the romantic coupling that we all wanted. They were clearly perfect for each other, but in true romantic comedy fashion there were endless obstacles to overcome.

THE REBOOTS - The show continually pulled the rug out of from under the audience, reinventing itself by switching timelines and stealing years of people's lives to keep the idea fresh.

IT MADE SCIENTISTS COOL - Well maybe not, but it made science look like fun and anyone who didn't catch just a little of the enthusiasm of the characters for the pursuit of science and what it can do was probably brain dead.

EPISODE TITLES - The increasingly clever and fun titles of episodes was enough to get a smile on your face even when you were just reading the schedules to see what was coming up. We liked 'Of Mites and Men', 'Bad To The Drone', 'From Fear To Eternity' and 'This One Time At Space Camp'.

THE ENSEMBLE - There wasn't a character in A TOWN CALLED EUREKA that we didn't get on with. Even Andy the robot deputy and Sarah the intelligent house had their own storylines. Fargo the hapless button presser, Jo the hardcore deputy, Henry the genius who was happy being a repairman, Taggart the mad hunter. We loved them all and we are going to miss them like crazy.

A TOWN CALLED EUREKA was one of a kind. There was never anything like it before and there isn't likely to be anything like it again. That's one set of DVDs that won't be leaving our shelves any time in the foreseeable future.

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

It's the news that we've been waiting for! Official word has come that Joss Whedon will be helming the second Avengers movie. Considering that the first was so hugely successful and so much fun to boot it would have been inconceiveable if he hadn't.

About Me

I am English, mid forties and a recent widower with two children and no time to, well pretty much anything these days.
More pertinently, I write and the fruits of these labours are available as ebooks on the likes of amazon, ibooks, smashwords and lulu.com
My main area of interest is science fiction and fantasy with a side order of supernatural horror. That's what I watch and read and write. I am a geek and proud of it. In fact, I also run a website called the Sci Fi Freak Site reviewing genre TV shows (it being pretty hard to get to the cinema any more).
I am also a regular contributor (some might say heckler) of the kindle forum on amazon.co.uk. It was there that it was suggested that every writer must have a blog, so here it is.
Blame them.